Picture mailer

ABSTRACT

A post card of standard size provided with a transparent envelope on one surface thereof for receiving a photograph or photographs to facilitate the mailing of such photograph or photographs through normal postal procedures.

United States Patent 1 1 1111 3,894,684

Florey 1 July 15, 1975 [5 PICTURE MAILER 868,804 10/1907 Peppler 229/711,206,351 11/1916 Meyers 229/68 R [76] Inventor 2367 Chester 1,445,5242/1923 McKenzie 229/68 R North Bend, Ores. 97459 1,875,804 9/1932Dicicco 229/928 x [22] Filed: Oct. 2, 1973 2,256,399 9/1941 MacHarg229/928 X Appl- 404,815 Primary Examiner william 1. Price AssistantExaminer stephen P. Garbe 52 US. Cl. 229/92.8' 40/1241 206/461-Firmclarence 229/71 Harvey B. Jacobson [51] Int. Cl B42d 15/00 [58]Field of Search 229/928, 71, 68 R; [57] ABSTRACT 206/461 466; 40/1241;283/56 A post card of standard size provided with a transparent envelopeon one surface thereof for receiving a [56] Referen Cit d photograph orphotographs to facilitate the mailing of UNITED STATES PATENTS suchphotograph or photographs through normal 333,203 12/1885 Dick 40 124.1postal procedures 816,870 4/1906 Markoff 229/928 6 Claims, 5 DrawingFigures PICTURE MAILER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of theInvention The present invention generally relates to picture mailers andmore particularly a post card having an envelope on one surface thereofwhich is transparent in character and receives a photograph orphotographs with the other side of the post card having a space forreceiving an address and a space for a personal message with the mailerbeing constructed of a unique arrangement of components to facilitatethe construction thereof.

2. Description of the Prior Art Many efforts have been made to providedevices in which a photograph or photographs can be readily mailed andalso devices which combine a card and an envelope into a composite unit.The following US. patents are exemplary of the developments in thisfield of endeavor.

8l6,870 S. A. Markoff Apr. 3, 1906 883,352 A. M. Simon Mar. 3l, 1908I,875,804 A. Dicicco Sept. 6, 1932 2,005,999 W. O. Larson June 25, 19352,045,944 G. C. Domke June 30, 1936 3,346,l72 B. J. Tucker Oct. 10, 19673,656,684 D. Meehan Apr. 18, 1972 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object ofthe present invention is to provide a picture mailer including a postcard having a transparent plastic envelope glued to one surface thereofwith the envelope being preformed and sealed around three edges thereofwith one end edge of the envelope being open and coinciding with an endedge of the post card to facilitate insertion of a photograph with theend edge of the envelope then being closed by a closure flap by the useof suitable adhesive.

Another object of the invention is to provide a picture mailer inaccordance with the preceding object in which the envelope has a lengthless than the length of the post card to provide a surface on whichdescriptive material may appear relating to the photograph orphotographs in the envelope.

A further object of the invention is to provide a picture mailer inaccordance with the preceding objects in which the envelope is providedwith a grid on the interior surface thereof to facilitate centering of aphotograph in relation to the envelope or proper positioning of morethan one photograph in the envelope thereby enabling a photograph orphotographs to be properly positioned in the envelope with adhesivemeans being provided for securing the photographs in place.

Yet another important object of the invention is to provide a picturemailer which is simple in construction, easy to assemble in order toenable users to cus tom design their post cards and relativelyinexpensive to manufacture.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of thefront of the picture mailer of the present invention illustrating theenvelope in closed condition on the rear of the post card.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the rear of the post card illustratingthe envelope with one photograph therein mounted on the post card.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the components of the picturemailer illustrating the associational relationship thereof.

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially upon a planepassing along section line 4-4 of FIG. 2 illustrating further structuraldetails of the picture mailer.

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal, sectional view taken substantially upon aplane passing along section line 5-5 on FIG. 2 illustrating additionalstructural details of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now specifically tothe drawings, the picture mailer of the present invention is generallydesignated by reference numeral and includes a post card generallydesignated by the numeral 12 and an envelope on the rear surface thereofgenerally designated by numeral 14. The post card 12 is of conventionalsize and construction such as a 3 /2 X5 /2 inches panel 16 of cardboard,hardboard X the like normally employed in constructing a post card. Thefront surface of the post card is provided with an area 18 for receivinga personal message and an area 20 for receiving the address, stamp andother desired printed or handwritten material normally used on a postcard.

The obverse or rear side of the panel 16 has the envelope 14 gluedthereto with the envelope being the same width as the post card but ofslightly lesser length so that when one end edge of the envelope isaligned with an end edge of the panel 16, a space 22 will be providedalong one end edge of the rear surface of the post care in order toprint or hand write an explanation, caption or any other informationrelating to the material in the envelope.

The envelope 14 is constructed of two panels of transparent plasticmaterial including an outer panel 24 and an inner panel 26 both of whichare of generally rectangular configuration and constructed oftransparent plastic material and having a width generally equal to thewidth of the post card and having a length less than the length of thepost card. The panel 24 is provided with top and bottom edge flaps 28and 30 and one end edge flap 32 with the corners of the flaps 28, 30 and32 where they join being inclined or mitered as indicated by numeral 34.The flaps 28, 30 and 32 respectively are secured to the panel 24 alongfold lines 36, 38 and 40.

The inner panel 26 is of rectangular construction corresponding in shapeand size to the panel 24 but the opposite end edge thereof is providedwith a flap 42 having a beveled or mitered end edge 44 at each endthereof and being joined to the panel 26 by a fold line 46. Imprinted inor laminated into the panel 26 is a grid defined by a plurality ofequally spaced parallel grid lines 48 which facilitates the centering ofa single photograph 50 thereon or facilitates assembling of a pluralityof smaller photographs thereon in a particular pattern in order toprovide an attractive arrangement of a plurality of photographs or otheritems being positioned in the envelope. The transparency of the outerpanel 24 enables the photograph or photographs 50 to be observed whenobserving the post card as illustrated in FIG. 2.

In assembling the envelope, the panels 24 and 26 are disposed inoverlying relation to each other and the flaps 28, 30 and 32 are foldedinwardly and around the corresponding top, bottom and end edge of thepanel 26 with the flaps being folded about corresponding fold lines. Thesurfaces of the flaps 28 which engage the panel 26 are provided with asuitable adhesive such as a water activated adhesive or the like topermanently secure the panels 24 and 26 together.

The envelope 14 is preformed and is sealed along the top and bottomedges thereof and the end edge which overlies the rear surface of thecard 16. The end edge of the envelope coincident with the end edge ofthe post care is open to enable insertion of a photograph 50,photographs or other similar items. In order to secure the envelopesecurely to the post card, the surface of the panel 26 facing the postcard 16 is provided with an adhesive coating which is water activatedand the surfaces of the flaps 28, 30, 32 engaging the post card may alsobe provided with a similar type of adhesive for securing the envelope tothe post card substantially throughout the surface area of the envelopewhich engages the post card. The surface of the panel 26 which faces thepanel 24 is also provided with an adhesive coating which is wateractivated so that a picture, photograph, photographs or the like may bemounted in a desired position thereon by moistening or wetting the backsurface of the photograph which allows the photograph to be centered onthe panel 26 or a plurality of photographs or other items may beoriented in desired location thereon with the photograph or other itembeing mounted being easily located or oriented in desired position bythe grid lines 48 and securely held in position by merely wetting ormoistening the surface of the photograph or other item that will engagethe supporting surface of the panel 26.

After the photograph has been oriented in the desired position withinthe envelope, the envelope is then closed by folding the flap 42 alongthe fold line 46 so that it is inserted into the open end of theenvelope and in underlying relation to the edge portion of the panel 24which coincides with the end edge of the post card 16 as illustrated inFIG. 5. The surface of the flap 42 is provided with a pressure sensitiveadhesive for adhesive connection to the inner surface of the panel 24thereby securing the envelope in a closed and sealed condition.

The inner surface area of the flap 24 where it coincides with the endedge of the post card may also be provided with a pressure sensitiveadhesive which cooperates with the pressure sensitive adhesive on theflap 42. Also, as an alternative, the flap 42 may be folded intooverlying relation to the outer surface of the end edge portion of thepanel 24 and secured thereto rather than being tucked inside of theenvelope as illustrated in FIG. 5.

The types of adhesive may be varied and if desired or deemed necessarydepending upon the type of adhesive employed, a protective coveringmaterial may be provided for the adhesive coatings. The panel 26 may bea laminated element including a first layer of clear plastic materialhaving the flap 42 thereon with the clear plastic layer being disposedagainst the post card 16. The grid 48 may be in the form of a secondlayer which has the grid printed thereon with the paper forming thesecond layer having a moisture activated adhesive for gluing it to thelayer of plastic material.

The card may be of any suitable color and may vary in size and thedevice is especially useful in mailing photographs to friends, relativesand the like and enables individuals to create their own picture postcard with the photograph or photogrpahs being firmly and neatly retainedin place for convenient mailing and easy observation.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A device for mailing a photograph, photographs or similar itemscomprising a post card defined by a substantially rectangular panel ofcardboard, hardboard, heavy paper or the like having substantialrigidity but some degree of flexibility, one surface of the post cardhaving a space for an address and a space for a personal message, and anenvelope mounted on the other surface of the post card, said envelopehaving one edge coinciding with one edge of the post card with said edgeof the envelope including an opening enabling access to the interior ofthe envelope, and a closure flap for the opening in the envelope toclose the envelope so that the envelope and post card may be mailedthrough the postal services, said envelope having substantially theentire surface area thereof engaged with .the post card adhesivelysecured to the post card thereby providing secure attachment between thepost card and envelope, said envelope being substantially rectangularand provided with a width substantially the same as the post card but alength less than the post card so that one end edge of the envelope willbe disposed in overlying relation to an intermediate portion of the postcard with the portion of the post card outwardly of the end edge adaptedto receive an explantion of the material in the envelope by suitableindicia positioned thereon, said envelope including an inner panel andan outer panel with at least the outer panel being constructed oftransparent material, the outer panel including flaps along the top andbottom edge and along the end edge thereof which overlies the post cardwith the flaps being folded inwardly and adhesively secured tocorresponding edge portions of the inner panel thereby forming anenvelope closed at three edges thereof and open at one edge with theopen end edge of the envelope coinciding with one end edge of the postcard.

2. The structure as defined in claim 1 wherein said closure flap for theopening in the envelope being formed on an end edge of the inner paneland folded into sealing engagement with an end edge portion of the outerpanel after a photograph, photographs or the like have been insertedinto the envelope with adhesive means being provided on at least one ofthe interengaging surfaces of the flap and edge portion of the outerpanel at the open end of the envelope.

3. The structure as defined in claim 2 wherein said inner panel includesa grid on the surface thereof facing the outer panel to enable aphotograph to be centered in position thereon or a plurality ofphotographs or the like to be oriented in desired position thereon.

4. The structure as defined in claim 3 wherein the grid surface of theinner panel is provided with an adhesive coating to secure thephotograph, photographs or the like in position thereon.

5. A mailable assembly comprising a card in the form of a shapesustaining panel, an envelope secured to one surface of the card withone edge of the envelope coinciding with an edge portion of the card,said one edge other of said envelope forming panels.

1. A device for mailing a photograph, photographs or similar itemscomprising a post card defined by a substantially rectangular panel ofcardboard, hardboard, heavy paper or the like having substantialrigidity but some degree of flexibility, one surface of the post cardhaving a space for an aDdress and a space for a personal message, and anenvelope mounted on the other surface of the post card, said envelopehaving one edge coinciding with one edge of the post card with said edgeof the envelope including an opening enabling access to the interior ofthe envelope, and a closure flap for the opening in the envelope toclose the envelope so that the envelope and post card may be mailedthrough the postal services, said envelope having substantially theentire surface area thereof engaged with the post card adhesivelysecured to the post card thereby providing secure attachment between thepost card and envelope, said envelope being substantially rectangularand provided with a width substantially the same as the post card but alength less than the post card so that one end edge of the envelope willbe disposed in overlying relation to an intermediate portion of the postcard with the portion of the post card outwardly of the end edge adaptedto receive an explantion of the material in the envelope by suitableindicia positioned thereon, said envelope including an inner panel andan outer panel with at least the outer panel being constructed oftransparent material, the outer panel including flaps along the top andbottom edge and along the end edge thereof which overlies the post cardwith the flaps being folded inwardly and adhesively secured tocorresponding edge portions of the inner panel thereby forming anenvelope closed at three edges thereof and open at one edge with theopen end edge of the envelope coinciding with one end edge of the postcard.
 2. The structure as defined in claim 1 wherein said closure flapfor the opening in the envelope being formed on an end edge of the innerpanel and folded into sealing engagement with an end edge portion of theouter panel after a photograph, photographs or the like have beeninserted into the envelope with adhesive means being provided on atleast one of the interengaging surfaces of the flap and edge portion ofthe outer panel at the open end of the envelope.
 3. The structure asdefined in claim 2 wherein said inner panel includes a grid on thesurface thereof facing the outer panel to enable a photograph to becentered in position thereon or a plurality of photographs or the liketo be oriented in desired position thereon.
 4. The structure as definedin claim 3 wherein the grid surface of the inner panel is provided withan adhesive coating to secure the photograph, photographs or the like inposition thereon.
 5. A mailable assembly comprising a card in the formof a shape sustaining panel, an envelope secured to one surface of thecard with one edge of the envelope coinciding with an edge portion ofthe card, said one edge of the envelope including an opening to enableaccess to the interior of the envelope, and closure means for saidopening for sealing the envelope, said envelope including a transparentarea to enable observation of at least a portion of the interiorthereof.
 6. The structure as defined in claim 5 wherein said envelope isconstructed of inner and outer panels with the inner panel being securedto the post card, said closure means including a flap unitary with oneof said envelope forming panels and adhesively sealable to the other ofsaid envelope forming panels.